Stocking Advent Calendar

A few years ago we began this tradition after seeing it in Family Fun magazine. The idea is to take 24 colorful socks you already have (although I did buy a few to make it a little more festive looking) and pin them up on a line across your mantle.

Each night in December (except Christmas Eve when we'll put up our real stockings) I will put in a note, activity, treat, etc. and each morning the kids will be able to take down a sock and see what fun we will be having that day.

Now that my oldest daughter is in school all day we have to do it a little different. We don't always have time to do a craft project between homework, piano practice, and whatever else may get in the way.

Some activities we may do include:

Making paper snowflakes

Making our own Christmas cards to send out

Going to see the lights downtown

A service project for someone less fortunate (Sub for Santa)

Making Christmas cookies

Caroling

Painting pinecones

Making ornaments

Choose a new Christmas book

A simple game to play

Build with marshmallows

A simple treat

Watch a Christmas movie

Have a slumber party with the family

Leave a note to "Get out of Chores Free"

These are just a few of the things we will do (I am not much of a long term planner and like to see how things play out before I set it in stone). We may also be following along a bit with the Creative Christmas Countdown {more about that tomorrow}.

Another idea to do with the stockings is to put a puzzle piece in each sock and gradually build it over the course of those few weeks. Or if your kids are into collecting sports or other cards, you could put one of those in each sock.

I have found that this is a great way to have a little Christmas fun each day leading up to the big day. It makes that {long} wait more bearable for the kids.

This is one of our favorite ways to count down to Christmas, but I will share another tradition we have started on Thursday when the Creative Christmas Countdown begins, hosted by Creative with Kids.

How do you count down to Christmas?

Do you have a suggestion for something to put in the sock or an activity to do?

12 comments:

That is a fun way to do it. We usually do activities too by having a paper chain. I think this year we are going to just read books and do some fun activities on some days. It is hard with the kids in school and Grace is little so I tend to ignore her and doing things. She is so content to just play.

This is insanely cute! I love your activities. I finalized our advent calendar tonight and I'll probably post about it tomorrow. I am a planner when it comes to the month of December. My autumn bucket list was a "come what may" but in December if I don't set out to do something each day.. I find myself not doing anything I meant to do. One of the activities I always have on our list is stargazing. The winter night sky is particularly breath taking.

Love the idea! I'm pinning it! Love all the activities. I just made one quickly with envelopes and putting them in a X-mas card holder. My daughter is excited for each day and it gets me excited too.... I reminds me a little of 30 days of play from Hands on as we grow and the Imagination Tree! 25 days of fun till x-mas!